There are probably a lot of post on this already but i dont have time to search for all of them. I am expanding my wood shop to a light manufacturing company. I need to purchase a commercial grade cnc vac table high hp spindle and possibly a atc. I have contacted several manufactures and i am reading as much as i can about all of the manufactures of cnc's out there but i need some of your opinions. My budget is somewhat fleible 20-50k and i am affraid to purchased used. i would love to hear what you have to say about a shopbot in a manufacturing shop because i like the user base they have and i am trying to get into a highschool in the area that has one to see and maybe test drive a bit. i am also looking at multicam, techno, cronsrud, and have no idea where i am at price wise. Any input would be great. especially on shop bot vs. other commercial cnc's

Thanks

Shopbot is not the same class machine as any of the others you mentioned.
Call Bill at Camaster. www.camaster.com fits your price range and you'll be glad you did. I am!
Keith

I recently (May 2007) purchased an AXYZ machine and have been VERY pleased with both the machine/software and support. I teach woodworking at a community college in NC - we have a 2 year degree program in Fine Woodworking. This is my personal machine.

My machine made perfect parts the day after delivery. Be sure and evaluate the tool path software included w/ each machine. The AXYZ machines can take a DXF file and generate the required tool path directly.

The machine holds the cut files in the pendant and does not need to be connected to a computer to produce parts. The machine came w/ everything required to make parts (3 HP Elte spindle on mine) including a vacuum table and Tool Path (AXYZ brand) software.

Check them out before you buy...

Art

the shop of kieth g after contacting camaster about thier machines, kieth's shop is just a few miles from my home and about 40 from my shop, when i saw what he was doing and how happy he was with his machine i purchased
a machine bill glenn built and have recieved the same support, we are now upgrading and soon will be able to commit to another machine which i will purchase from bill, this father and son team are just incredibile when it come to thier machines, i experience the same in my business,

i will say i visited shopbots plant and spent an afternoon there, the machine is a bolt together kit well figured out and is widely used in many applications
as a cabinetmaker i wanted more beef in the frame and did not want to bend over lifting parts from down in a table, i also did not want to be held in a proprietary pattern of parts and software, camaster is built of solid industrial
parts motors and drivers with the exceptional wincnc controller software

www.mcgrewwoodwork.com

fell free to pm me and i'll be glad to speak with you

jim mcgrew

of machine

It depends on what you are looking for and if that number is your entire budget for machine, install, software etc.

If you want a very sturdy,bulletproof machine that is a bit higher than your high end, I would suggest an Omniteh Eco. They are very robust and will last a very long time.


In the lower end there are many,many to choose from. All have good and bad reports on the internet. The hardest thing is figuring which of the bad reports came from competitors and which of the good came from the sellers friends IMO.

Look at them yourself and decide from al the choices.

Stephen,

Have you taken a look at ez-Router? (www.ez-router.com) Sorry our website is under construction because we are adding multiple new machines. We can get you in a 4' X 8' CNC Router Package with a ATC 3.8 KW HSD Spindle, with a 4 position tool holder, and with closed loop encoders for under 24,000.00. Machine comes fully assembled ready to run. If you have any questions feel free to shoot me over an email or give me a call.

Thanks,

Jacob

i hope you'll tell us a little about your shop, like you some months ago after having been in cabinetry a little over twenty years finally came to terms with what cnc could do for me. and i am now sitting here with fifteen files on 4x8 medium to industrial routers. this is a few of my observations. go see machines, do not buy the first one you look at, (maybe later, but not that day) there are some overwelmed people in the cnc table business, more than one i called to inquire about did not even return my phone calls for weeks only to call me consitantly once they found i was serious (and i am talking about some big players in the table business) a big company is not always best, (the largest provider of saws, routers and major woodworking equipment
in the US promised me the moon and damn near put me out of business when the equipment failed and they found out how inept they were at small business) yes i am a friend to bill glenn at www.camaster.com and roy brazzell at www.royswoodproducts.com mike steck of alpine sales in SC, luke at the wurth wood group in greer SC and all of the suppliers i work with they have all kept me in business in the worst of situations and i for them i need to support them.

it's how i feel about the people (when we choose each other) i work for, i will not work for people or buy tools and materials from who do not genuinely want me to be profitable,

as someone who has benefited greatly from this forum i thank you

tell us all what you do and need to do with you potential machine

depending on the size you are looking for flexicam is built like a tank i have one and love it great staff fast service easy machine to use i use it for all around work